Column for heat-and-mass exchange between gas and liquid

ABSTRACT

A column for heat-and-mass exchange between gas and liquid in the form of a vertical shell with transverse partitions inside. The transverse partitions have holes with downflow pipes for the passage of liquid from the overlying transverse partition to the underlying one. The circular portions of the transverse partitions adjoining the downflow pipes have holes for the passage of gas while the downflow pipes protrude underneath from the transverse partition and their lower ends have circular plates whose area corresponds to that of the perforated circular portions. Installed above the downflow pipes are bubbling bells.

United States Patent [191 Tjutj unnikov et al.

[4 1 Aug. 19, 1975 COLUMN FOR HEAT-AND-MASS EXCHANGE BETWEEN GAS AND LIQUID [76] Inventors: Anatoly Borisovich Tjutjunnikov,

ulitsa Frunze, l7, kv. 34; Boris Nikanorovich Tjutjunnikov, ulitsa Frunze, 15, kv. 4; Alexandr Nikolaevich Marchenko, Kolodezny pereulok, 47/2; Viktor Leontievich Burin, Pavlovo Pole, 5 mikroraion, 54, kv. 26, all of Kharkov; Josif Mironovich Bolotin, ulitsa Sovetskaya, 29, Volgodonsk, Rostovskoi oblasti; Anatoly Sergeevich Drozdov, ulitsa Lenina, 66, kv. 29, Volgodonsk, Rostovskoi oblasti; Leonid Petrovich Koval, ulitsa Lermontova, 1 l, kv. 3, Volgodonsk, Rostovskoi oblasti; Zoya Vasilievna Didenko, ulitsa Lenina, 66, kv. 22, Volgodonsk, Rostovskoi oblasti; Georgy Vasilievich Ljubushkin, ulitsa Lermontova, 8, kv. 6, Volgodonsk, Rostovskoi oblasti; Jury Mikhailovich Budnik, pereulok Donskoi, 34, kv. 16, Volgodonsk, Rostovskoi oblasti; Vladimir Dmitrievich Moskvin, ulitsa Yakornaya, 7, kv. 28; Dmitry Mikhailovich Bolyanovsky, ulitsa Sheremetievskaya, 7 1 (b), korpus l8, kv. 73, both of Moscow, all of USSR.

[22] Filed: May 29, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 474,313

[52] US. Cl. 261/122; 261/123 [51] Int. CL... BOlf 3/04 [58] Field of Search 261/122, 123; 23/283, 284,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 369,104 8/1887 Droit 261/123 3,617,033 11/1971 lchikawa..... 261/123 3,642,452 2/1972 Roget et al. 261/123 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 319,839 1928 United Kingdom 23/283 196,365 1958 Austria 23/283 Primary ExaminerTim R. Miles Assistant ExaminerGregory N. Clements Attorney, Agent, or FirmFleit & Jacobson [5 7] ABSTRACT 2 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure III/Illa r I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 4 COLUMN FOR HEAT-AND-MASS EXCHANGE BETWEEN GAS AND LIQUID- The present invention relates to chemical equipment and more particularly it relates to columns for heat and-mass exchange between gas and liquid;

The column according to the invention canbe used predominantly for oxidation of paraffin hydrocarbons in the production of synthetic fatty acids.

Widely known in the art are columns for heat-andmass exchange between gas and liquid employed in, say, soda industry in the capacity of packed columns which hold the liquid for along time in the apparatus. The known column comprises a vertical cylindrical shell provided with pipe connections admitting liquid into the upper part of the shell and discharging it from its lower part and with pipe connections admitting gas into the lower part of the shell and discharging it from its upper part. Mounted inside the column shell one above the other are transverse partitions with holes for the passage of liquid from the overlying transverse partition down to the underlying partition and for the passage of gas from the underlying partition to the overlying one.

Installed above these holes are bubbling bells.

The gas is fed into the lower part of the liquid-filled column, is dispersed and goes up in the form of bubbles under the effect of the expulsive force. On reaching the transverse partition the gas passes through its holes, flows around the bubbling bells and moves under the next overlyingtransverse partition.

This process of gas flow through successive transverse partitions is repeated until the gas reaches the upper part of the shell from where it is discharged outside.

The liquid enters the upper part of the column, passes under the bubbling bell and flows through the holes in the transverse partition onto the underlying transverse partition. This process of liquid flow through successive transverse partitions is repeated until the liquid reaches the lower part of the shell from where it is discharged outside.

The liquid and gas move in the column in a counterflow being in constant contact with each other which provides for the process of mass exchange.

However, the known columns are characterized by a considerable axial mixing of the liquid because the counterflow of the gas and liquid through the holes in the transverse partitions brings about, particularly in case of intensive gas flow, harmful circulating backward flows of the liquid which reduces the efficiency of mass transfer and, as a consequence, impairs considerably the quality of the product and increases the coefficient of consumption of the feed material.

In large columns the transverse partitions have a large number of holes. In this case, by reason of fluctuations in the density of the gas-liquid mixture, the gas flow is nonuniformly distributed over the cross-section of the column. This causes the bypass flows of the liquid and gas i.e. the liquid and gas pass through different holes. This also reduces the efficiency of the column and impairs the quality of the product.

The object of the present invention consists in providing a column for heat-and-mass exchange between gas and liquid wherein there would be no axial mixing of the liquid and wherein the gas would be uniformly holes for the passage of the liquid from the overlying partition down to the underlying one, bubbling bells secured above said holes, pipe connections admitting liq- 'uid into the upper part of the shell and discharging it from its lower part, and pipe connections admitting gas into the lower part of the shell and discharging it from its upper part wherein, according to the invention, the holes in the transverse partitions have downflow pipes protruding underneath from the transverse partition, the circular portions of the transverse partitions adjoining the downflow pipes have holes for the passage of gas, and the lower ends of the downflow pipes have circular plates whose area corresponds to that of the circular portions with holes in the transverse partitions.

It is practicable that the transverse partitions at the points of installation of the downflow pipes should be made in the form of truncated cones whose smaller base is directed down.

The design of the column according to, the invention provides for dividing the flows ofliquidand gas through the transverse partition thereby eliminating the harmful backward circulating flows of liquid and axial mixing of this liquid, and contributing to the uniform distribution of the gas over the cross-section of the column which improves the column efficiency.

Now the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a longitudinal section of the column for heat-and-mass exchange between gas and liquid according to the invention.

The column for heat-and-mass exchange is a cylindrical vertical shell 1 whose upper part is provided with a pipe connection 2 incorporating a distributing device 3 for feeding in the liquid and a pipe connection 4 for the discharge of gas while its lower part has a pipe connection 5 with a distributing device 6 for feeding in gas and a pipe connection 7 for the discharge of liquid. Arranged oneabove another inside the shell 1 are transverse partitions 8 with holes which accommodate downflow pipes 9 for the passage of liquid from the overlying transverse partition 8 down to the underlying one. Each transverse partition 8 can be provided either with one, as shown in the drawing, or more downflow pipes 9.

Secured above the downflow pipes 9 are bubbling bells 10. If one transverse partition 8 is provided with several downflow pipes 9, there may be either one common bubbling bell 10 above them or several bubbling bells l0 installed, each, above each downflow pipe 9 (not shown in the drawing). The circular portions 11 of the transverse partitions 8 adjoining the downflow pipes 9 have holes for the passage of gas while the lower ends of the downflow pipes 9 protruding from the transverse partition 8 have circular plates 12 whose area corresponds to that of the perforated circular portions 11 of the transverse partitions 8 installed above said plates 12.

At the points of installation of the downflow pipes 9 the transverse partition 8 can be made in the form of a truncated cone whose smaller base is directed down for better transverse mixing of gas.

If the process calls for an additional supply or abstraction of heat, the column can incorporate heatexchanging elements.

The column according to the invention operates as follows. v

The column is filled with a liquid through the pipe connection 2 with the distributing device -3. Then a continuous flow of gas is delivered into the column through-the pipe connection 5 with the distributing device 6' and a continuous flow of liquid is fed in through the pipe connection 2 with the distributing device 3. The liquid moves down from the upper part of the column, passes through the space limited by the upper bubbling bell l and the transverse partition 8 and comes tothe downflow pipe 9. It flows through the downflow pipe 9 to the underlying bubbling bell l0 and enters the space between said underlying bubbling bell l0 and the underlying transverse partition 8. On the way, the liquid moves in a complex labyrinth-like manner and, after passing through all the zones of the transverse partitions 8, is discharged from the column through the pipe connection 7.

The gas is delivered into the column through the pipe connection with the distributing device 6, is dispersed and forced upward in the form of bubbles by the expulsive force; reaching the transverse partition 8, the gas accumulates under it forming a gas cushion and passes through the holes in the circular portion 11. Then, flowing around the bubbling bells 10, the gas flows to the overlying transverse partition 8 and the movement of the gas flow is repeated over again. The circular plates 12 prevent the gas from flowing directly through the downflow pipes 9 which rules out the entrainment of liquid from the lower zone of the column into its upperzonc and thus prevents axial mixing of the liquid.

Having passed through all the zones of the column 1 in the manner described above, the gas is discharged through the pipe connection 4.

The liquid and gas move in the column according to the invention in a counterflow, being in constant contact with each other. By controlling the amount of delivered liquid and gas it is possible to obtain any desired timewithin the processed liquid is held in the column and, as a consequence, to achieve completeness of the chemical reaction.

We claim:

1. A column for heat-and-mass exchange between gas and liquid comprising: a vertical shell; transverse partitions arranged in said shell one above another and provided with holes for the passage of liquid from said overlying transverse partition down to the underlying partition; downflow pipes secured in said holes of said transverse partitions; lower ends of said downflow pipes protruding from said transverse partition in which said downflow pipes are secured; circular portions of said transverse partitions adjoining said downflow pipes and provided with holes for the passage of gas; circular plates fastened to said lower ends of said downflow pipes, the area of said plates corresponding to that of said overlying circular portions of said transverse partitions with holes; bubbling bells secured above said downflow pipes; pipe connections admitting liquid into the upper part of the shell and discharging it from its lower part; pipe connections admitting gas into the lower part of the shell and discharging it from its upper part.

2. A column according to claim 1 wherein said transverse partitions at the points of installation of said downflow pipes are made in the form of truncated cones whose smaller base is directed down. 

1. A COLUMN FOR HEAT-AND-MASS EXCHANGE BETWEEN GAS AND LOQUID COMPRISING, A VERTICAL SHELL, TRANSVERSE PARTITIONS ARRNAGED IN SAID SHELL ONE ABOVE ANOTHER AND PROVIDED WITH HOLES FOR THE PASSAGE OF LIQUID FROM SAID OVERLYING TRANSVERSE PARTITION DOWN TO THE UNDERLYING PARTITION, DOWNFLOW PIPES SECURED IN SAID HOLES OF SAID TRANSVERSE PARTITION, BELOW ENDS OF SAID DOWNFLOW PIPES PROTRUDING FROM SAID TRANSVERSE PARTITION IN WHICH SAID DOWNFLOW PIPES ARE SECURED, CIRCULAR PORTIONS OF SAID TRANSVERSE PARTITIONS ADJOINING SAID DOWNFLOW PIPES AND PROVIDED WITH HOLES FOR THE PASSAGE OF GAS, CIRCULAR PLATES FASTENED TO SAID LOWER ENDS OF SAID DOWNFLOW PIPES, THE AREA OF SAID PLATES CORRESPONDING TO THAT OF SAID OVERLYING CIRCULAR PORTIONS OF SAID TRANSVERSE PARTITIONS WITH HOLES, BUBBLING BELLS SECURED ABOVE SAID DOWNFLOWS PIPES, PIPE CONNECTIONS ADMITTING LIQUID INTO THE UPPER PART OF THE SHELL AND DISCHARGING IT FROM ITS LOWER PART, PIPE CONNECTIONS ADMITTING
 2. A column according to claim 1 wherein said transverse partitions at the points of installation of said downflow pipes are made in the form of truncated cones whose smaller base is directed down. 